Wire-stretcher



(No Model.)

H. L. PERRIS & N. B. HELM.

WIRE STRETGHER.

No. 352,122. Patented Nov. 9, 1885.

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PATENT OFF CE.

HENRY L. FERRIS AND NATHAN'B. HFLM, OF HARVARD, ILLINOIS.

WI RE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,122, dated November 9, 1886.

' Application filed January 8, 1886. Serial No. 188,013. (No model.)

To all whom, itmay concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY L. FERRIS and NATHAN B. HELM, citizens of the United States, residing at Harvard, in the'county of McHenry and State of Illinois, have invented anew and useful Wire-Stretcher, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines employed in stretching fence-wires. Its object is to improve this class of machines, to render them more efficient.

To this end we have designed and constructed the stretcher represented in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a stretcher embodying our invention, showing the parts in position to receive the wire. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan view with the parts in a position opposite to the position shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4is an isornetrical representation of the wire-holding sliding head, and Fig. 5 is an isometrical representation of the eccentric lever to grasp the wire. Fig. 6 illustrates a modification of one of the sliding heads, and Fig. 7 is a modification of the eccentric levercam.

The anchor-bar A, a portion of which is represented in the drawings, is rectangular in section,and one of its edges is produced in toothed ratchet form. This bar may be provided with any of the known appliances to connect one of its ends to a suitable anchorage.

Sliding heads B and O, formedto receivethe anchor-bar and slide thereon, are each provided with a pawl, a, having a pivotal connection with the sliding head in position to engage the ratchet-teeth of the anchor-bar to limit the movement of the sliding heads to one direction,

but capable of an upturned position, as shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 2, to disengagethem from the ratchet-teeth of the anchor-bar to permit the heads to slide freely thereon toward or from either end of the bar. A hand-1ever,D,is pivoted at b,near one end,to the under face of the sliding head B, and the endof its short arm is connected to the under face edge of the sliding head 0 by means of a link-pitman, E, pivoted at one end to the short arm of the lever and at its other end to the under edge face of the sliding head 0. V

The construction and arrangement of the severalparts,consistingoftheanchor-barA,sliding heads B and O, hand-leverD,and pitman E, are such that an alternate back and forth swinging movement of the hand-lever from one of the positions to the other, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, will cause the sliding heads to move endwise on the anchor-barin the direction indicated by the arrows thereon to stretch the wire held by the serrated eccentric.

When the pivoted pawls a are disengaged from the ratchet-teeth of the anchor bar, as shown in their dotted-line position in Fig. 2, the sliding heads and their attachments may be adjusted to any position on the bar or removed therefrom.

The pivotal connection of the hand-lever with the under side of the sliding head B and its linkpitman connection with the sliding head 0 are such that the hand-lever may be operated on either'side of the anchorbar, to render the machine equal in use either as a right'or left hand machine, and fit itfor use in situations when the use of either an exclusively right or left hand machine would be found inconvenient.

The sliding head 0 is provided with an arm,

c, projecting laterally from the end portion of the head, and its upper face forms a jawv on which to clamp the wire. The arm 0 of the sliding head is formed with a flange, d, projecting from its outer end, for a purpose to appear hereinafter.

An eccentric lever-cam F, with serrated periphery, is pivotally supported to oscillate on a stud-journal, e, projecting from'the side of the sliding head 0 centrally over the jaw-face of the arm 0, projecting therefrom. The outer face of the eccentric cam is provided with a hook-flange, h, projecting beyond the periphery of its serrated eccentric, and its conformation is such as to embrace the flange (1, projecting from the outer end of the jaw-arm c in a manner to permit an oscillatory movement of the cam. The eccentric cam is provided with a stop-stud, k, to engage stop-studs Z, projecting from the face of the sliding head 0, and form a stop to limit the oscillatory movement of the cam-lever,that it may not interfere with the operation of the hand-lever or with the link-pitman in one direction, nor with the admission of the wire to the holder in the other.

- In the use of our improved stretcher the anchor-bar is suitably fixed in position. The several parts supported thereon are then adjusted relatively in the position shown in Fig. 2, and the wire, a portion of which is shown at m, is then placed on the jaw under the serrated eccentric, as shown in Fig. 2. The eccentric, by means of the lever-handle a, is then turned to the position shown in the dotted lines, which movement will cause the serrated am to err gage the wire and press it against thejaw and the hook-flange to receive the end flange, d, of the jaw, and thus hold the wire securely in place in such a manner that an increasing strain upon the wire will increase the holding power of the cam. The hook-flange of the serrated eccentric in its connection with the end flange of the jaw forms an end bearing to resist the separating force exert-ed on the eccentric and jaw in holding the wire understrain,and it also prevents the wire from slipping from the jaws sidewise.

At Figs. 6 and 7 we have represented in isometrical projection a modified construction of the wire-holdingmechanism,in which a groove, o,is formed in the upper face and outer end portion of the jaw-arm c of the sliding head 0, and a flange, p,projeeting from the outer face of the eccentric lever-cam F, is formed to enter the groove 0 in the jaw. In this construction ofthe holding device the wire is placed in the holder from the side in the same manner as in the construction shown at Fig. 2, and when the wire is grasped by the serrated cam the flange 1), in its engagement with the grooved j aw, will prevent the sidewise displacement of the wire.

We claim as our invention- 1. In a wire-stretcher, the combination,with the sliding heads and the gripping devices secured on one of said heads, of ahorizontal operating-lever fulcruincd upon a stud on the lower face of one of said heads and connected to the other head by a link, whereby the long arm of the lever may be arranged on either side of the anchor-bar before the stretching operation begins without changing the fulcrum-point, substantially as described. I

2. The combination, with the sliding head provided with a lateral jaw to receive the wire, and with a fiange,of an eccentric cam pivotally secured above said jaw, and provided with a flange to engage said lateral jaw and with a hook-flange to receive the flan ge of the j aw, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the sliding head provided with a lateral jaw, with a stndjourual to receive a lever -cam,and with stop-studs, of the eccentric lever-cam provided with astopstud to engage the steps of the sliding head,substantially as described.

HENRY L. FERRIS.

NATHAN B, HELM.

Witnesses:

J. H. MURPHY, A. C. llLtNLEY. 

